Coolidge Foundation Announces 2018 Recipients of Full-Ride "Coolidge Scholarship" for Academic Merit

PLYMOUTH NOTCH, Vt., May 15, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation is pleased to announce the four recipients of the 2018 Coolidge Scholarship. This full-ride merit scholarship, which can be used at any accredited college or university in the United States, covers tuition, fees, room and board for four years of undergraduate study.

The Coolidge Scholarship honors America's thirtieth president and seeks to elevate the values for which President Coolidge stood. Amity Shlaes, Coolidge biographer and Coolidge Foundation chairman said, "President Coolidge is one of the most underrated presidents. Yet considering the challenges facing America today, especially our large national debt, Coolidge's principles are more important than ever. We are pleased to honor President Coolidge, and these remarkable students, with the Coolidge Scholarship."

The main criterion that distinguishes Coolidge Scholars is academic excellence. Students must also demonstrate a keen interest in public policy, an appreciation for the values Coolidge championed, a record of service, and humility. The Scholarship is non-partisan and winners may pursue any academic discipline they choose. This year more than 3,200 students applied for the award. Each applicant writes an essay about the Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge.

Matthew Denhart, Coolidge Foundation executive director, remarked, "It has been our great pleasure learning about the many interests and remarkable accomplishments of this year's applicants. We can't help but feel optimistic about America's future having had this opportunity to get to know so many of our country's future leaders."

Students apply during their junior year of high school and Coolidge Scholars are selected through a multi-stage review process. Semifinalist juries meet across the country to consider top applicants and select finalists. Twelve finalists are flown in for a finalist weekend at the Coolidge Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. During this weekend, candidates are interviewed by the Coolidge Scholars Finalist Jury, chaired by former Vermont governor James H. Douglas.

Speaking on behalf of the finalist jury, Gov. Douglas said: "It's gratifying to see thousands of students each year responding to the call for excellence and discovering the lessons of our thirtieth president through the Coolidge Scholarship application process."

The recipients of the 2018 Coolidge Scholarship are:

Phillip Meng, Union High School, Camas, Washington
Matthew Muellner, Creighton Preparatory School, Omaha, Nebraska
Katherine Sylvester, Walt Whitman High School, Bethesda, Maryland
Alison Xin, Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights, Ohio

These recipients come from a group of distinguished finalists. The other finalists, who each received the one-time Finalist Award of $5,000, include:

Joshua Anumolu, Homeschool student, Glendale, Wisconsin
Kelsey Griffin, Bishop Kelley High School, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tivas Gupta, Saint Ignatius College Prep, Chicago, Illinois
Sathvik Kolli, Homeschool student, Milpitas, California
Peter Mugemancuro, Flintridge Preparatory School, La Canada Flintridge, California
Luis Sanchez Boedo, Franklin High School, Franklin, Tennessee
Eshika Saxena, Interlake High School, Bellevue, Washington
Talia Tax, University High School, Tucson, Arizona

For more information about the Coolidge Scholarship, including profiles of this year's winners, please visit CoolidgeScholars.org.

SOURCE Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation